An Giang celebrates UNESCO recognition for temple festival

The Mekong Delta province of An Giang on March 19 held a ceremony to celebrate the recognition of its Festival of the Ba Chua Xu Goddess at Sam Mountain as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. The Festival of the Ba Chua Xu Goddess, held from the 22nd to 27th of the fourth lunar month, is one of the biggest religious events in the south. The festival is celebrated by the Kinh, Khmer, Cham, and Hoa ethnic groups in Chau Doc city to express gratitude to the goddess for her protection of the people's prosperity, health, and peace. It features a palanquin procession, a bathing ceremony to change the clothes and jewelry of the statue of the goddess and the preparation and presentation of offerings. VNA Photo: Thanh Sang